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Albany, NY – Governor Andrew Cuomo has been traveling the state this week, announcing regional economic development councils to help boost the local economies. But the governor made clear at a stop in Schenectady, that he'll be awarding the $200 million dollars in job creation grants strictly on merit. Capitol Correspondent Karen DeWitt reports...
Cuomo, speaking in Schenectady to an enthusiastic invitation only crowd, told the audience that the second phase of his term as governor will be all about creating jobs, by giving regions more autonomy to create economic development plans.
"You shape your destiny," Cuomo said.
But Cuomo told his new regional council appointees that the plans they ultimately come up with will have to be "sustainable and comprehensive" in order to attract part of the $200 million dollars allotted for the program. Afterward, he said the regional councils will have to work to earn the grants.
"We want plans that work, this is tax payers money," said Cuomo. "We want plans that actually produce jobs and keep people here."
Cuomo says "saying we're going to give money to every plan" is the "old way," which the governor says has had a poor track record.
Cuomo says competition among the regions of the state is healthy, and he says it's something the federal government has been doing for two decades, he says he awarded competitive grants as HUD Secretary in the 1990's.
Cuomo says he knows he's asking a lot of the business leaders, university presidents, and others he's appointed to the boards to put parochial reasons aside and come up with plans, and he concedes that some regions of the state might not get any money at all, saying it would be a "waste" to fund plans that won't produce results.
"Do I believe there can be plans that lose?" Cuomo said, answering reporter's question. "Sure. But by the way, that's the way it should be."
He says regions that may not win enough money in the first year may have another chance next year, if he can convince the legislature to continue to fund the economic development councils.
The councils have three months to come up with plans, the money will be awarded early next year.
In Albany, I'm Karen DeWitt.